A Diamond Among Rocks
by FinnickOdair-Will-Live-Forever
Summary: In a world of sword fights and knights, Princess Clove is forced into an arranged marriage to Prince Marvel of Panem's sister country. Clove knows she must respect the ancient laws and marry him, but she is not too eager to let go of the merchant's son that stole her heart one sunny day. AU.
1. Stone Cold Walls

**Hey, this is my new AU. :) I also love Annie/Finnick, which is why the country is called Odesta. I hope you enjoy it, I don't own The Hunger Games.**

Princess Clove Fuhrman had never been a particularly girly kind of Clove. Being the Princess of Panem meant that she had an endless supply of dresses, riches, servants and jewels. However, she had no freedom. No friends. No fun. Clove was constantly being watched, with her door being guarded by four of her father's knights all day every day. You see, when she was nine she went to the marketplace and traded her diamond studded tiara for the biggest gobstopper she had ever seen. (As a result, she now wasn't allowed in the market place without special permission.) When she was twelve, she had climbed out of her window on the third floor and into a tree. She had climbed a good ten feet down the tree when she fell and broke her collarbone. Now, her window remained latched. When she was fourteen she had gone to Panem's sister country, Odesta, with her parents. She had ditched them to go and explore the forests. Her parents had persuaded the rulers of Odesta into sending half of their army to go and hunt her down. She had been escorted back to the palace and locked in her room for the rest of the day.

Clove never had any fun. She spent her days reciting laws, learning manners from her instructor Effie, looking for ways to escape or helping her parents deal with the villagers. She had an older brother, Augustus (though of course, she called him Gus to irritate him), but he was always training with the army as he was two years older than Clove at eighteen. There was only so much of life in the guarded palace that Clove could take, so whenever she saw the opportunity to escape for the day…She did.

Today was one of those days.

Sundays were the only days Clove didn't have classes with Effie. She told the guards guarding the drawbridge leading out of the palace that was collecting a surprise delivery from the local jeweller and that she would be back by sundown. They let her through without hesitation. She pulled the hood of her cloak low over her eyes as she would be in a massive amount of trouble with the king and queen, her parents, if she was to be caught. Princess Clove walked straight into the marketplace, immediately blending in with the villagers that were swarming the different stalls. Some called out for their turnips to be brought, others called out for cheap potatoes. Clove was surprised to discover that not every villager owned a farm. She didn't often visit the marketplace, tending to spend her occasional escape days in the nearby woods. The woods were like a sanctuary to her. She had met one her two friends, Katniss Everdeen, in the woods. There was nobody to tell her what to do, what to say or what to wear. She could just _be_.

"Shells! Get your shells! Straight from the beaches of Odesta Cove!" A merchant yelled.

"Eggs! Get your eggs, laid fresh this morning!" Another shouted. Clove used the gold coins stored in her cloak to purchase a long brown feather from a merchant and a white conch shell. She tucked the feather behind her ear and slipped the shell into her cloak pocket. Clove wandered further and further into the thriving marketplace, eventually reaching the animal sales. She walked around aimlessly, petting sheep and the odd donkey. There were no animals at the palace, except for the knights' horses and the hunting dogs. A scream sounded from somewhere in the marketplace, followed by words.

"He's loose!" Somebody yelled. "The bull's loose!"

Clove stared at the people around her in confusion as they fled the marketplace. Sure, she had heard of bulls. But they couldn't be _that _bad, right? Wrong. The bull barrelled towards her. Clove closed her eyes and lifted her hands to shield her head, waiting for the bull to hit her head on. Instead, she felt herself being tackled to the side.

"Wow." Said the lump on top of her. "That was a close one."

She slowly opened her eyes. A muscular boy with blonde hair and blue eyes lay on top of her, crushing her slightly.

"You okay there, princess?" He asked, grinning slightly. Clove immediately pulled her hood back over her head.

"Um, I'm fine thank you." She responded.

"Well, I'm glad to hear it." The boy got to his feet and pulled Clove up after him.

"Most people don't react well when they find out I'm the princess." Clove admitted.

"Well I don't see why. You seem the most…_human _out of all your other members." They boy said. His grey shirt had several tears in it, and his shorts had been patched up.

"Watch your tongue. I'm still royalty and they're still my family." Clove snapped. The boy held his hands up in mock surrender.

"Easy there. Don't get your princess panties in a bunch. The name's Cato." He offered Clove his hand. She shook it.

"Clove."

"I gathered." By now, they were the only two remaining amongst the animal pens. The bull had gone raging off into the fields, and the villagers, except for Cato, had cleared out at the first sign of trouble.

"So, I guess I owe you." Clove said awkwardly.

"I only ask for one thing." Cato grinned. Clove raised an eyebrow suspiciously, and he tapped his cheek. Rolling her eyes, Clove stepped forwards and pecked him on the cheek.

"You must want more than that." Clove said, stepping away from the boy again.

"Hmm. I _do _need a new sword." The boy said, tapping his chin.

"You kill for a living?" Clove asked.

"No! I'm training for the tournament into two months." He said.

"The one my parents are hosting?" Clove asked, slightly impressed.

"That's the one." He said, plucking an apple from a tree shading a pig and biting into it.

"It'll be dominated by knights. You'll need a good blade." Clove said logically.

"That's why I asked you for a new sword." Cato grinned.

"Consider it done. You can have it tomorrow. Where shall I meet you?" Clove asked. Cato started walking away from her.

"Just come to the market. I'll find you." He said, not turning to face Clove. He threw his apple core over his shoulder. It landed at Clove's feet and she watched as he jumped over a rickety wooden fence that separated the market from the hot dusty road. Clove watched him go until he disappeared around a sharp bend.

"Right." Clove muttered to herself. "I have a sword to have forged." She turned around to go back to the palace, only to find three armed guards stood less than fifteen feet away from her.

"My lady, the good king and queen wish you to come home." The guard in the middle said. _Suck up_. Clove thought to herself.

"I can walk you know." She grumbled as two of the guards came forwards and took her by the arms. She sighed and prepared herself to be dragged back to the glorified dungeon she called home.


	2. A Humble Home

**Thanks for the positive feedback. :) This may sound kind of like Aladdin at the moment, but it won't later on, I promise. I don't own The Hunger Games.**

Over the wooden fence. Down the dusty lane. Across the field of golden grass and then over another fence. That was the way to Cato's shabby house on the corner of the road. It was the walk he took every day at six o'clock to get back from the marketplace. He would arrive at ten in the morning, and once there, he would steal a few coins from the other villagers to purchase food for himself and two siblings and sleep medicine for his mother. He promised himself that he wouldn't steal if things weren't so bad for him at home, but he had been stealing for a year now. He was sixteen- no merchant would want him for an apprentice, and scrubbing the palace floors didn't exactly appeal to him.

"I'm home!" Cato called out as he stepped into the living room after giving the front door a good kick to open it.

"Cato!" Cato's ten year old sister came running into the room and hugged him.

"Hey, Trix." Cato laughed, crouching down to rub her back.

"Cato." Cato stood up at the sound of his nineteen year old brother's voice. He was leaning against the door frame, glaring at him. Trix took Cato's hand in her own.

"Buck. How's mom?" Cato asked nervously. Cato had had a comfortable relationship with his brother until last year, when everything turned bad and Cato had resorted to stealing. Buck thought that Cato lacked the drive to do anything productive; when the money had stopped coming in Buck had gotten a job in the cow fields. Cato argued that it wasn't enough, but Buck insisted that it was. He got the feeling that that was the reason Buck had turned sour towards Cato when he started stealing.

"How should I know? I've been doing _legal _work for money all day." Buck spat. "That reminds me; did you take somebody else's hard earned coins today?"

"Here." Cato pulled three coins out of his pocket. It was a lot less than his usual amount. He thought back to the girl in the market, the princess. It would have been so easy for him to slip his hand into the pocket of her cloak and take the bag of gold coins he knew would have been in there. But he hadn't done it. Cato told himself it was because she was the princess, if he'd have done it he would have had his hands cut off for sure. If he was to be honest with himself, he would say he didn't know why he hadn't taken the coins. But if there was one thing Cato hated, it was not knowing.

"Not your usual haul, brother. Have you got mother's medicine?" Buck smirked.

"Of course." Cato said, glaring at Buck. He pulled the vial of sleep medicine out of his other pocket. Trix released Cato's hand to fetch the freshly boiled tea. When she brought it to him, Cato poured the contents of the small vial into the wooden cup.

"Wait here, Trix." Buck said. He and Cato walked through the crumbling doorway into their mother's room. She was sat up right in her tearing armchair, her dark brown hair that both and Trix had Buck inherited was tied in a bun and she was wearing her night gown. Before her husband the merchant had died last year, Talia had been a pretty looking woman. She had danced and sung as she cleaned people's houses. Now, she lived in the past because the present was too painful. She had quit her job and started wasting away, leaving her two oldest children to care for her and their sister.

"Hello, boys. Where's your father?" She smiled warmly at them.

"He's still working, Ma." Cato mumbled.

"I never get to see him anymore." Talia's bottom lip started to wobble slightly

"Here, drink your tea." Buck took the tea from Cato's hands and handed it to her. He took it back after she had taken three sips. Almost instantly, she started snoring. Buck set the tea aside, and he and Cato carefully lifted her into her bed. Nowadays, she couldn't sleep without dreaming of her husband and sobbing in her sleep without the sleep medicine Cato brought for her with his stolen money. That was his job. He brought half of the food they needed and their mother's medicine. Buck used the four coins he earned a day to buy the other half of the food and sewing materials, seeing as their mother could still sew clothes. Buck left the room, presumably to bathe after his day in the fields. Cato sighed and pulled the thin blanket up over his mother's shoulders before stepping back into the living room.

"How was your day, little one?" Cato asked, sitting down on a wooden chair and pulling Trix onto his lap.

"It was okay." She said politely.

"Well _I _met the princess." Cato grinned, playing with her hair.

"No you didn't!" Trix gasped.

"I did. I saved her life." Cato replied.

"How?" Trix asked, turning her head. Her brow eyes were wide with amazement.

"I slayed a brutal bull just as it was about to trample her." Cato said. _Exaggerations won't hurt anyone. _He thought to himself.

"What she like?" Trix asked eagerly.

"She was nice. Really pretty. Soft lips." Cato smirked.

"You kissed the princess!"

"No I didn't. She kissed _me_."

"Are you going to get married?" Trix giggled, swatting Cato's hand away from her brown hair. He looked into her eyes and couldn't bring himself to her that to the royals, they were poor sum. Unworthy of their time, and that's all they would ever be.

"Who knows? She practically fell in love with me."

"Will you see her again? Will _I _ever get to meet her?" Trix's grin was almost bigger than her whole face.

"Maybe. I might bring her back here one day. Now scram, kid. Go get ready for dinner." Cato gently pushed Trix off his lap and walked over to the fireplace as she ran off to get changed.

"The princess, huh?" Buck asked, stepping out of the bathing room. Their house was small, meaning it took all of twenty seconds to walk the whole width.

"Yeah, actually." Cato said. He reached into various bags of food they kept by the fire and tipped some rice, potatoes and carrots into a pot.

"No fresh meat?"

"Not today. I was kind of busy." Cato placed the pot its stand over the fire and waited for the food to cook.

"You know, it's one thing telling princess stories to Trix. She's ten. It's another telling them to _me_." Buck said, sitting down next to Cato.

"I'm telling the truth, I can prove it." Cato frowned.

"Go on then." Buck laughed in a non-humorous way.

"I told her I'd find her tomorrow and I _will_. That's when I'll bring you my proof." Cato scowled, before marching out of the doors into the field behind their house to get in some sword practice before dinner.

**So, Cato's story is slightly similar to Katniss' in the book but I tried to change it up a little. :)**


	3. Forest Escape

**I don't own The Hunger Games, and thanks again for the reviews. :)**

"Effie, I don't think you understand how truly boring this is." Clove sighed. She was slouched on her bed, wearing casual clothes instead of the dresses her parents made her wear. She was wearing brown leggings under her full skirt and a simple white shirt. Her teacher, Effie Trinket, was perched on the edge of Clove's armchair wearing a bright pink dress. Her posture was, of course, impeccable.

"Manners, Clove." She scolded.

"_Sorry_. Madam Trinket, I honestly doubt you have realised how exceptionally dull this lesson is." Clove said, mocking Effie's accent.

"Fine." Effie frowned. "I'll go get my notes."

"You do that." Clove rolled her eyes. As soon as Effie had left the room, there was a tapping on Clove's windows. She crept over to it and sharply pulled the curtains open, revealing Cato's grinning face. He was sat on the edge of a branch, biting into an apple.

"Open the window." He said, his voice muffled by the glass. Clove took the knife that she kept for protection from her bedside table drawer and picked at the thick seal on the window. Eventually, it crumbled away and Clove pulled the stiff window open.

"You coming, Princess?" Cato asked. She nodded, and he launched himself off of the tree and over the electric fence. He landed on his feet and rolled over before getting to his feet again and waving at her. Clove ran over to her bed and pulled out two things from underneath it; Cato's sword and her own sheathed knife. She attached both weapons to the leather belt at her waist. Quickly, she went to the window and climbed out onto the tree before Effie could come back and catch her escaping. She tip-toed across the branch and stood anxiously at the edge. Cato shot her a thumbs up and, taking a deep breath, Clove launched herself off of the branch. She flew through the air before Cato caught her, her skirt flying in the breeze. He took a few steps backwards but didn't drop her.

"It's never as far as you think it is." He grinned as he placed her on the ground.

"Right, of course. Silly me." Clove muttered sarcastically.

"I have to say Princess; I thought you'd at least be in the market place today." Cato carried on as if she hadn't spoken.

"I couldn't slip away from Effie." Clove admitted, and then frowned. She hated admitting that she couldn't do something, or had failed.

"How come? I figured you'd be somewhat stealthy."

"She's kept a sharp eye on me and doubled by class hours. She wants me to be prepared for our trip to Odesta that's coming up." Clove rolled her eyes. The only thing she liked about Odesta was the beaches. Everything else, including the royal company, she despised.

"Well, when it got to five and you hadn't showed up I decided to come and find you. I promised I would." Cato grinned. He took her arm and led her deeper into the woods.

"How do you know I trust you to lead me off into the woods?" Clove asked as Cato guided her past trees and shrubs.

"If you didn't trust me, you wouldn't have jumped off of a tree to come and meet me. And I _did _save your life yesterday." Cato smirked. They reached a clearing and Cato stopped walking.

"Here." Clove pulled the sword from her side and handed it to Cato in its sheath. He unsheathed it and examined the metal handle. It was engraved with all sorts of shapes. When she had visited the forgery, Clove had insisted that the sword had to be one of the best they'd ever created. Done with the handle, Cato examined the smooth flat of the blade and then the sharp edge. He swished it around in the air for a few seconds before re-sheathing it and attaching it to his own belt.

"Thanks." He grinned.

"It's the least I could do." Clove smiled back politely.

"So, Princess, can you handle yourself?" Cato asked, still wearing his grin.

"Of course." Clove scoffed. She pulled the knife from her belt and flung it at a tree. It stuck in the bark and Clove walked over to retrieve it.

"Impressive, I guess. But can you hit flesh?" Cato asked with a smirk. In response, Clove threw the knife again, and it skimmed Cato's ear before sticking in a different tree. Cato pulled it out of the trunk and handed it back to her.

"I could have hit you. My father had me trained in weapons and horse riding. I just didn't feel like killing you." Clove said smugly.

"Yeah, whatever." Cato laughed.

"What about you? Do you fight much?" Clove asked, gesturing to the sword resting at Cato's hip.

"Every three months there's a tournament in the village. I've competed eight times with my father's blade."

"And how many times have you one?"

"Six." He grinned. "I lost my first two tournaments, but I trained hard and won the rest. Nobody has beaten me for eighteen months."

"Do you really think that you can beat knights from all over the world in my parents' tournament? Do you think you can beat my brother, or Prince Marvel from Odesta?" Clove asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Of course. But even if I didn't think I could, I would believe that I can." Cato said sincerely.

"That…Doesn't make any sense." Clove frowned.

"It will one day. A year ago, I didn't think I'd be alive today. I had to believe that I would be, and here I am." Cato said, shaking his head slightly at Clove and smiling sadly.

"Anyway." Clove didn't want to touch on any subject that would upset Cato. "What will your wish be if you win the fight?"

"Money." Cato grinned widely. "Lots of it. And a decent job in the palace. Who knows? Maybe I'll end up becoming your personal guard."

"Well, you'll be needing armour. I can supply you with some, and a helmet too." Clove said.

"Why will you help me?" Cato asked suspiciously. "You gave me a sword. That's all I asked for."

"You saved my life. And anyway, I'd be lying if I said it didn't have anything to do with the look on Augustus' face when he gets beaten by a villager." Clove said with a smirk on her lips.

"Well, I suppose I had better continue training hard then. Wouldn't want to disappoint the princess." Cato winked at Clove.

"Exactly. Now, attack me." Clove said, holding her knife ready.

"I'm not going to attack you, Princess." Cato laughed. "The king will have my head, and it's hard to sword fight with no eyes."

"As long as you don't stab me, I'll be fine. Now attack me." Clove lifted her knife a fraction higher and moved into a defensive stance.

"No, Princess." Cato smiled, clearly amused by her words. "I'm not attacking a girl in a dress."

Clove snorted and took off her belt. Her skirt fell to the floor and she kicked it away, leaving her in the white shirt and brown leggings.

"Do it. I command you." Clove said firmly.

"Well, in that case…" Cato charged at her, and the weapons collided with a screech of metal.


	4. Welcoming

**I don't own The Hunger Games. :D**

Over the next few weeks, Cato and Clove became good friends. Whenever Clove could find a way out of the palace, she would bring Cato food containing protein and calcium for his bones and muscles. In return, Cato would show Clove around the parts of the city she had never seen. Cato was doing well with his training, and having Clove help with his training had had a good effect. He was swinging with more power, his lunges were more ferocious and his jabs were more lethal.

Clove prided herself on having her father's warrior instincts and skills. However, she failed to hear Cato creep up on her late one afternoon in the marketplace. All she felt was hands wrap around her neck and she was pulled backwards into him.

"D-don't hurt me." She stuttered. She may have had weapons training, but life inside palace walls had her unprepared for moments like this.

"Give me a reason." The man hissed. Clove thought his voice was familiar, but she shook off the feeling.

"Just…Just let me take my cloak hood off. I'll prove I'm the princess. You can have all the riches you want, just don't hurt me." Clove pleaded. Cato couldn't stop himself anymore; he released her neck and his laughter at the same time.

"You should have seen your face, Princess." He laughed as Clove turned to glare at him.

"Shut up. I was unprepared." She protested.

"I thought you told me to always be prepared." Cato grinned. He linked his fingers with Clove and she used her other hand to pull her hood down lower as the strolled through the busy marketplace. Her and Cato's relationship was a strange one, but Clove wasn't going to protest- she enjoyed it too much. Cato was the first boy, other than the servants and her brother, that Clove had regular conversations with.

"Do as I say and not as I do." Clove said firmly. "And you had better take me somewhere great now."

"I have someone that's dying to meet you." Cato smirked. Clove froze.

"You're not supposed to tell people that I sneak out of the palace."

"I had to tell her. I love her more than anything." Cato said. Clove allowed him to pull her along again, ignoring the sinking feeling in her stomach when she realised Cato must had a girlfriend that he loved enough to share a secret as important as hers with. Eventually, they reached a house. Clove noted that it was in the poorer part of the village. Then again, the village wasn't exactly a 'rich' place.

"Hey, Trix!" Cato yelled, after giving the door a sharp kick to open it. "I have someone here to see you!"

"Who is it?" The girls muffled reply came. _So the girlfriend's name is Trix. _Clove thought. A girl no older than ten came bounding into the room.

"Hi, I'm Trix." The girl grinned, sticking her hand out for Clove to shake. Clove almost laughed as she shook it. Trix was definitely _not _a girlfriend.

"I'm Clove." She smiled politely. Trix's eyes lit up.

"Are you the princess?"

"The one and only." Clove said, pulling her hood back as Cato ruffled his sister's hair.

"Cato talks about you all the time." Trix grinned cheekily.

"Okay, kid. Go peel the potatoes." Cato laughed. Trix sighed, but went to sit by the small fireplace and did as she was told.

"Cato?"

Cato turned around, wide-eyed, at the sound of his mother's voice.

"Mom. You should go back to bed." Cato said, rushing forwards and resting his hand on her elbow. Clove saw him take a small vial out of his pocket.

"But I want to see him. I want to see your father." The woman muttered. Clove could see that she was clearly tired and confused.

"Come on." Cato gently pushed her inside the room she had come from. Clove could hear him telling her to drink some more tea. Clove turned around at the sound of another door opening.

"Hi, Buck!" Trix grinned from next to fireplace. She waved Clove over and she sat down on the floor next to Trix.

"Kid." The man grunted. He had brown hair, but the same blue eyes as Cato. He was wearing muddy overalls. "Who are you?"

"My name's Clove." Clove said quietly.

"The princess?" Buck asked, pulling his boots off and leaving them to dry on the ledge of a small window.

"Yes." Clove sighed a little.

"You're going to get my brother killed." Buck stated, pulling off his jumper. He was left in a tatty brown shirt and trousers.

"What?" Clove asked with a frown on her face.

"When your parents find out that you've been spending all your time with a villager, they'll have his head."

"Buck that's enough." Cato said, stepping out of his mother's room and sitting down opposite Clove on the floor. He shot a fiery glare a Buck.

"I'm just saying it how it is." Buck grumbled, slouching off into another room.

"Sorry about him. He hasn't been the same since…" Cato trailed off awkwardly.

"It's okay." Clove said gently, smiling reassuringly. Trix threw the newly peeled potatoes into the pot resting over the fire and pulled some carrots from another bag resting next to the fireplace.

"What's the palace like?" She asked as she pulled the stalks from the carrots, sliced them and threw them into the pot of broth.

"I'd think you'd like it there." Clove said, unsure of what to say. She may hate it there, but somebody like Trix would love it.

"Do you have horses?" Trix asked eagerly.

"Trix has an obsession with horses." Cato rolled his eyes and Trix frowned at him.

"We have horses." Clove laughed. "Maybe I'll teach you how to ride one day."

"Really?" She asked. Clove nodded and Trix poured some of the broth into a bowl before handing it to Clove. She then poured herself and Cato bowls and set one aside for Buck.

"Go eat it your room, Trix." Cato said, ruffling Trix's hair slightly. She scowled at him before picking up her bowl and flouncing out of the room.

"Sorry about her, she's a bit of handful." Cato said, putting his bowl down.

"Don't be. She's sweet." Clove grinned, setting her own bowl down next to her.

"Try living with her." Cato groaned.

"Is your mother okay?" Clove asked.

"She's fine." Cato's reply came too quickly and Clove knew that something was up.

"You can tell me anything you want. You know that, right?" Clove asked, resting her hand on Cato's knee.

"I know." Cato said. Before he could convince himself not too, he leaned down and kissed Clove on the lips.

**I know it seems like their relationship's moving a bit quickly, but they kind of did back then. Also, it's necessary for the plot. :)**


	5. Travel

**I don't own The Hunger Games. :)**

_Tap tap. Tap tap._

Cato had been tapping on Clove's window for ten minutes and he was on the verge of smashing it. It was night time and he was cold, but he couldn't leave until he'd spoken to Clove. Sighing, he tapped the window louder. He was careful not to alert the guards patrolling the gardens of his whereabouts.

"What do you want?" Clove snapped when she pushed her window open.

"I need to talk to you." Cato said, climbing off of the tree branch and into Clove's room.

"I have a long journey tomorrow, I need to rest." Clove grumbled as Cato grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the couch.

"Are you going to Odesta?" Cato asked, sitting down. He pulled Clove down next to him.

"Yes." She groaned. "It's going to be horrible."

"Just think of me and it'll be over before you know it." Cato grinned cheekily.

"This can't happen." Clove said firmly, pulling her hand away from Cato's.

"What can't happen?" Cato frowned.

"This. _Us_."

"Um…Why not?"

"Because if someone finds out, they'll kill you!" Clove whispered sharply.

"I don't care." Cato shrugged, leaning backwards.

"Well, you should. Who'll take care of Trix?"

"Buck."

"I'm not worth it."

"If I die for being with you, I'll die happy." Cato said, taking Clove's hand again.

"If you get your head chopped off, it's not my fault." Clove sighed.

"Of course not." Cato grinned and kissed her on the cheek. "But this isn't what I came to talk to you about."

"Oh." Clove said, looking at him in a way that told him to carry on.

"I don't want you to get the wrong idea about me. I'm not entering this tournament because I want money to feed my face for the rest of my life. I need to win for my mother and father. You saw my mother. She didn't look too well, right?" Cato asked.

"Not really." Clove answered honestly.

"She hasn't been the same since my father died a year ago. He got sick one day, and a week later he died. Her brain blocks it out, and she still thinks she's living it the month before he died. She can't sleep without having nightmares, which is why we have to put sleep syrup in her tea. What kind of a son would I be if I didn't keep the family alive for my father? If I win, I'll ask your father for a decent job so I don't have to steal things, enough money to see the palace doctor about my mother's condition and a year's supply of food Trix and Buck." Cato said, running his free hand through his hair.

"I think you can do it." Clove said truthfully. "I think you can win for them."

"I don't care if I die in the tournament. I just have to try."

"You've been training for years. Sure, the knights have better armour, more supporters, more experience and personal trainers. But Cato, you have skill, a great blade, something to fight for a _me _backing you. You're going to be a whole lot more popular with the crowds once they find out I'm backing you." Clove said reassuringly.

"You're going against your brother. Why?" Cato asked.

"You deserve the title more than he does. He has everything he could ever need, and you don't have anything."

"That's not true. I have Trix and Buck. And you." Cato stood and walked over to the window.

"Are you leaving?" Clove followed him.

"Yeah. It's late; I don't want to keep you up. I'll see you when you get back from Odesta. Try not to have too much fun without me." Cato smiled sadly and tucked a strand of hair behind Clove's ear.

"I'll see you soon." Clove promised. They embraced before Clove watched Cato climb out of the window and into the night. She walked across the room, but Cato dived through the window again before she could lie down.

"Sorry, I forgot something." He mumbled, before pressing his lips to hers.

…

"When will be there?" Clove asked. She was bored out of her mind. She had, after all, been riding in a carriage with her parents and brother for over four hours.

"Soon, Clove." Her mother smiled kindly at her.

"Good." Clove groaned. "This is boring."

"Shut up, Clove." Augustus sneered. Clove glared at him before kicking him in the shin.

"Clove!" The king snapped. "You are a princess- act like one."

"Sorry, Gus." Clove smiled a fake, sweet smile.

"Whatever you say, Clover." Augustus smiled an equally fake smile.

"Doesn't bother me." Clove shrugged.

"Clove, please." The queen said tensely.

"Why are you blaming me?!"

"Clove!" The king snapped. Clove rolled her eyes at him and they rode the last few minutes of the journey in stony silence.

When they reached the palace, trumpets sound. _Typical Prince Marvel. _Clove thought to herself. _Always has to remind people how important he thinks royals are. _The villagers of Odesta were gathered in the courtyard, but immediately stepped off of the path when they saw the carriage coming. Eventually they rolled to a stop next to steps up to the palace. The door was flung open by a guard. He helped Clove at first. She stretched her legs before turning around and seeing Marvel and his parents at the top of the stone steps.

"Princess Clove, what a pleasure." Marvel grinned. He walked confidently down the steps and took Clove's hand. He kissed it, and Clove resisted the urge to squirm.

"Prince Marvel. You haven't changed at all." Clove smiled a fake smile. She hadn't seen Marvel since she was fifteen, and she honestly didn't view that as a bad thing. He had been trying to get her to go with him to his parents' annual ball ever since they were twelve. He was a sleaze, and Clove hated nobody more than she hated him.

"King and Queen Fuhrman. Crown Prince Augustus." Marvel nodded his head at the monarchs. They made their way to the top of the steps and met with Marvel's own parents, the King and Queen of Odesta.

"Come inside." The king smiled warmly. "We have much to discuss."


	6. Runaway

**I don't own The Hunger Games. :)**

"Cato, why are you upset?"

Cato looked up from the chicken he was plucking. Trix looked at him expectantly, waiting for an answer.

"I'm not, kiddo." He replied, plucking another feather from the carcass.

"Yes you are. You haven't left the house today." Trix insisted, peeling a carrot with a knife.

"What happened to the thieving?" Buck asked, smirking slightly as he diced potatoes.

"Shut up." Cato muttered, glaring at his older brother.

"How will we possibly go on without your stolen money?" Buck mocked.

"Shut _up _Buck." Cato hissed.

"Leave him, Buck. I bet he just misses Clove." Trix giggled.

"Oh yeah? And what would you know about me and Clove, kid?" Cato asked, dropping the chicken.

"You always talk about her and you smile when she's around. You love her." Trix grinned.

"Love is a big word, Trix." Cato sighed and started to cut up the plucked chicken.

"Well, you have a crush on her." Trix handed the peeled carrots to Buck so he could dice them.

"Whatever, Trix. Go wash your hands for dinner."

"She's just leading you on." Buck said, chopping vegetables. Cato set down his knife and stood, glaring at Buck.

"Excuse me?" He asked coldly.

"She's a princess- she could do so much better than you. She's just playing with you." Buck shrugged.

"You're wrong." Cato snapped.

"No, I'm not. Think about it, Cato. She's in Odesta right now, probably living it up with Prince Marvel the ladies' man. You'll never have a chance after she falls for _him_." Buck sneered.

"Clove's not like that. She has _standards_, and she wouldn't do that to me." Cato scowled.

"Like you thought Sabrina wouldn't? You know, until you caught her in a haystack with the fishmonger's son."

"I was fifteen, she was sixteen. It hardly counts. Clove's nothing like her, anyway."

"I just think you need to realise that _maybe _you would have had the smallest chance with her if it wasn't for all the petty theft. But then again, probably not."

…

Clove was bored out of her mind. Sighing, she tapped her fingers against the wooden table and lazily stirred her soup. Her parents and Marvel's parents were discussing ridiculously boring things, like laws and punishments and all Clove wanted was to go home. _To Cato, _she thought the herself. Clove had been unable to stop thinking about him ever since he left her room the previous night. She perked up a little when they started to discuss the tournament.

"Of course, Marvel will be competing. He's one of our best swordsmen." His mother gushed proudly.

"We're sending ten of our best knights to compete and I believe that King Brutus is sending ten knights from his own kingdom." King Quaid said.

"Queen Enobaria is also sending her best knights and her two sons." King Fuhrman added.

"We have a proposition for you." Queen Quaid said, smiling warmly at Clove.

"Me?" Clove asked. She wasn't usually spoken to too much on the first night.

"No, dearie. But it involves you." The Queen turned to Clove's parents. "As you know, Clove is sixteen. She has been for six months."

"Marvel is seventeen, and a worthy suitor." The king of Odesta added. "What we are suggesting is a marriage, a joining of two kingdoms and two bloodlines."

"We will have an answer by morning." King Fuhrman said after a few seconds of conversation with his wife. Clove's eyes widened and she froze, the spoon falling from her hand.

"A word please?" She hissed.

"Later." Queen Fuhrman frowned. From across the table, Marvel winked at Clove and she instantly felt sick to the stomach.

…

At eight o'clock, Clove knocked on the door to the room her parents were staying in. They told her to come in and she thundered into the room.

"You can't make me do it." She snapped, folding her arms across her chest.

"We haven't reached a decision yet." Her mother said soothingly, but her father scowled at her.

"You have a duty to your kingdom, Clove. You must serve your country in every way that you physical can, and that includes marriage. In the morning, we will tell the Quaid family that we accept their proposal and the wedding will take place after Prince Marvel or Augustus wins the tournament." King Fuhrman said firmly. Clove could tell that her father would not give in and a single tear slid down her cheek. There were only two things she wanted in life. The first was freedom, and the second was to find love. Her parents were taking away her opportunity at both.

"Then I'll hate you forever." She snapped, before turning and running out of the room.

…

The girl ran and ran until she could no longer hear the barking of hounds, see the torch lights or even smell the salty Odesta air. She ran for hours, her bare feet scraping painfully against every twig on the forest floor. Eventually, she collapsed on the outskirts of the forest.

"We'll be okay." She muttered woozily, rubbing her slightly swollen stomach. "He'll come back for us. He _will_."

As darkness pressed at the corner of the girl's vision, only one thought shone inside her head. _He'll save us. I love him. He'll come for us; he'll save us from this mess. He will. He will. He will. _The girl repeated in her head until she could tell herself that she truly believed it, that his past meant nothing and that he would come for them.

"Are you okay?" The girl heard a male voice, but he sounded far away. So far away and nothing like _him_, the only one she loved. Sighing, she pressed herself against the cold earth. She felt herself being lifted into the air and a protective hand clutched at her stomach before she let the darkness engulf her and she collapsed completely.

**So, quite a lot going on there. Buck and Cato having a little bit of a verbal fight, the whole proposal thing and now this mysterious girl. Things are about to get more interesting, I suppose. :)**


	7. Impact

**I won't be able to update for a while, going on holiday Sunday. :) I don't own The Hunger Games. :)**

Cato threw the blonde girl over his shoulder, abandoning his pack. He ran away from the woods and back towards the market place, hopping that the dark would hide him from prying eyes. The girl wasn't exactly light, but eventually he reached his shabby little house. He gave the door a sharp push, and it fell open. He knew that his mother and Trix would be sleeping, and bothering Buck didn't sound like the most appealing option. So instead, Cato laid the unconscious girl on the tattered couch and retrieved from the well in the yard. He wondered is he should pour some over her to wake her up, but decided against it. She'd ask too many questions.

About an hour later, the door was thrown open. Cato leaped to his feet and reached for the knife that was sheathed at his side. A figure in a black cloak walked into the room, the hood pulled low over its face.

"Who are you?" Cato asked, drawing his knife. The figure snorted and pushed its hood down.

"Idiot." Clove, covered in twigs and mud, rolled her eyes at Cato. The two days they'd spent apart suddenly felt like forever to Cato and he crushed Clove against him, gripping her tightly.

"What are you doing here? You're not due back for another week." Cato asked, pulling back slightly so that he could see her mud streaked face.

"It's a long story." Clove sighed and rested her head on Cato's shoulder. He instinctively ran a hand over her tangled hair.

"We have time." He replied calmly.

"Not here, they'll look for me as soon as they realise I'm gone. I don't want them to find me here, you'll get in trouble." Clove said.

"I can't exactly leave."

"You jerk." Clove snapped when she finally saw the sleeping girl on the couch.

"God, Clove. It's not what it looks like, do you really think I'd do that to you?" Cato asked, sounding hurt. Clove felt bad for a second, she had no reason to doubt Cato.

"No, so explain."

"I went to the woods to look for fire wood and I saw her pass out on the outskirts. I picked her up and brought her back here, like a gentleman. She keeps mumbling in her sleep, it's actually quite annoying." Cato explained.

"Well, she _is _pregnant." Clove said, rolling her eyes.

"How do you know _that_?"

"I can see it in her face, we get all sorts of pregnant villagers in the castle to see our doctor. I really need to tell you my news, Cato. Would you please step outside with me for a moment?" Clove asked. She looked more desperate than he had ever seen her.

"Okay." He agreed, and gently pulled her into the back yard.

"I'm engaged." She blurted once Cato had pulled the door shut behind him.

"What?" It felt like Clove had hit him in the stomach with a club.

"I'm sorry." She rambled on. "It's my parents and King and Queen Quaid's idea. I have to marry Prince Marvel at the end of the tournament. I have no say in the matter and I don't want you to get hurt, so…"

"So this is goodbye?" Cato felt as if his head was swimming. He had known Clove for a little over month and fallen for her, hard.

"I rode for hours to tell you. I don't want you to get hurt, Cato. I'm sorry." Clove said, lifting her hand to stroke his face. He knocked it away.

"Don't touch me." He snarled.

"Cato, please don't be like this." Clove pleaded, reaching for his hand. He moved it out of her reach.

"I'm not invincible, Princess." He said bitterly.

"I know that-"

"It hurts. So with all due respect _your highness _I think you should leave." Cato spat.

"Please don't do this. I want to be friends." Clove whispered, massaging her temples.

"I have enough friends, but you know what? I'll show you to the door. Wouldn't want you to touch a turnip and get a sickle disease, right?" Cato grabbed her by the upper arm and started dragging her through the house towards the door.

"Ow, Cato!" He loosened his grip slightly. "That's not fair. You know I'm not like that."

"I know you're not like that? I _know _you're not like that?" He laughed in a non-humorous way. "You're leaving me for a stuck up prince who has a better lifestyle but no better qualities, so I think you're _exactly _like that."

"It's not by choice!" Clove yelled, but Cato shoved her through the doorway. "I'll be back when I've found a way out of it, I swear."

"Keep telling yourself that Clove and maybe you'll get at least one of us to believe it."

"I…I love you." Clove said unsurely.

"You wouldn't know love if it punched you in face. Maybe in another life, it could have been me and you and no one else. But this is the real world. _Goodbye_." Cato slammed the door, trying to ignore his wounded pride. If he thought there was a way, he would have said so and they could be together. But he _didn't _think there was a way, and at least by yelling at Clove she might start to hate him and eventually find love with Marvel. Cato almost laughed out loud at the thought of Marvel falling in love. He didn't deserve Clove. Nobody did, she was in a league of her own in Cato's opinion. Now she was being taken away from him because a rich little boy had to get his own way.

"I'll find a way. Whether today, tomorrow, or in a decade…I'll find a way or die trying." Cato swore. He just wouldn't tell Clove. He refused to get her hopes up only to crush them. He had to warn himself not to get his own hopes up, too.

"Who the hell are you and why have you kidnapped me?!"

Cato's head shot up, and he came eye to eye with the knife holding blonde girl.


	8. The Mysterious Girl

**Sorry for the wait, I only got back on Thursday. My email was flooded with reviews follows and favourites, so thank you. :) I don't own The Hunger Games.**

"Drop the knife and let's talk." Cato said slowly, raising his hands in surrender.

"I'm not afraid of you!" The blonde girl snapped, thrusting the knife forwards. Cato side-stepped quickly, narrowly avoiding a stab to the heart.

"So you won't be scared to talk to me then. Just drop the knife." Cato was surprised to find that he sounded a lot calmer than he actually was. _It's good practice. _He told himself. _For the tournament next month._

"No. You kidnapped me- you're going to kill me! You can't have us!" The blonde girl yelled. Her eyes were wide from fear and her hand shook as she held the knife out in front of her. Cato leapt forward towards her. He ducked to avoid her second hopeless stab and shot his hand up to grab her wrist. He squeezed until she whimpered and dropped the knife.

"I'm not going to hurt you…Um, again." He said, watching the blonde clutch her wrist. Cato picked up the knife and threw it to the side of the room.

"How…How do I know that?" She asked, trembling slightly.

"If I wanted you dead, you already would be. Also, I'm unarmed." He pointed out.

"I…Okay." The girl accepted Cato's arm and he led her into the living room. She kept a protective her hand on her stomach as she sat on the couch. Cato sat on the floor opposite her.

"My name's Cato." He said.

"I'm Glimmer." The blonde girl sniffed and wiped at her nose with her sleeve.

"Do you remember what you were doing before you passed out?" Cato asked softly.

"I passed out? How embarrassing." Glimmer flushed a pale red. "I was running away from King Quaid's hounds."

"Why did he want you?" Cato asked, his brow furrowing.

"I'm carrying his son's child." Glimmer admitted. She nervously fiddled with the tattered hem of her shirt, her blue eyes staying glued to her lap.

"You're pregnant with Prince Marvel's baby?" Cato's jaw visibly dropped.

"Yes."

"It's definitely his?"

"_Yes_." Glimmer rolled her eyes. "Why else would the king want me dead? The baby and I are just a big inconvenience to him. I get in the way of his plan for Marvel, _my_ Marvel, to marry Princess Clove and unite the kingdoms."

"I don't know what to say." Cato admitted, running a hand through his hair. Even if King Fuhrman knew about Marvel's unborn child, the wedding would still happen. They would just pretend that Glimmer, and the baby, didn't exist.

"I know what people say about him." Glimmer added quietly. "They that he won't ever love anyone, and that he just thinks he's a women's gift from God and he will never settle down properly. But he _loves _me. Before we knew about the baby he…he…"

"He what?"

"He promised me that we'd get married when he returned from Panem after the tournament. I told him about the baby the day after the Fuhrman royals arrived, but he never got a chance to talk to me about it. The king ordered my arrest, for treason and lying, so I had to run. My friend Finch helped me escape and I even managed to rest after running for hours before I was woken by the sounds of barking. I had to run again, and I guess I passed out after a while." Glimmer started to cry quietly. "He loves me okay? He _told _me that he loves me. Marvel Quaid is a lot of things, but a liar isn't one of them. Not to me."

"I, um, I'm sure it'll all be okay." Cato said, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck. He had no idea what to do. He thought he was the only that would be upset about the engagement.

_The sooner I find out a way to be with Clove, the sooner I can get this girl off of my tatty couch._

…

Clove had never felt worse in her life. She lay in her room alone, feeling sorry for herself and cursing the country's ancient laws. By now, her parents' knights would be close to the Panem border. As soon as they entered the country, she knew they'd be searching for her and she would be dragged back to Odesta kicking and screaming. So, she guessed that they wouldn't look in the most obvious place. Clove had bolted her door and set a chair under the door handle just in case, but it wasn't long until people came knocking. She politely ignored the taps at her door until an all too familiar voice made her groan in despair.

"Open this damn door Fuhrman or I swear I'll get my axe and chop it down!" It was the voice of Johanna Mason, a young woodcutter. Clove had met her three years ago on one of her trips to the forest. She was loudest, bluntest seventeen year old Clove had ever met. Clove found it refreshing to be around somebody that always said things exactly how they were after a life of polite words and good manners.

"She's not kidding, Clove. Open the door." Katniss, her other friend called. Clove had also met her in the forest. She had been making a living hunting and then trading the meat for four years, since she was twelve. When Clove had met Cato's sister Trix, she had reminded her of Katniss' younger sister Prim. Katniss was more well-mannered than Johanna, but she tended to be quiet and occasionally hostile.

"Go away!" Clove called from the comfort of her bed. When she heard Johanna running into the door repeatedly, she jumped to her feet and opened the door.

"Finally." Johanna snorted.

"What do you want?" Clove snapped, glaring at both of them. Johanna barged past Clove into the room, and Katniss followed.

"We want to know why you left Odesta early and have been sulking in your room for an hour." Katniss said, raising an eyebrow. So Clove took a deep breath and told them how she had met Cato, fallen hard for him and then been forced into an engagement to Prince Marvel. She then explained what Cato's reaction had been when Clove had told him.

"Man that sucks. Prince Marv's a dog." Johanna frowned.

"I know Cato, a trade with him sometimes. He's a good guy, this must be hitting both of you hard. Do your parents know about him?" Katniss asked. She looked concerned, whereas Johanna just looked mad.

"What would they say?" Clove laughed bitterly. "I'll never be the favourite child, but if my parents found out that their darling princess daughter had been secretly seeing a dead merchant's son…They'd hit the roof. I'd be on total lockdown; I'd probably even be sent to live with my mother's brother."

"The king of that weird little island?" Johanna asked.

"Yeah- my mother grew up there. She hated it. I honestly can't imagine myself stuck on a tiny island with no trees, no weapons training and no…" She trailed off, wanting to say 'and no Cato', but not wanting her friends to roll their eyes at her.

"I know exactly what you need." Katniss said, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "You need to train with the knights tomorrow.

"If you mean kick their sorry behinds and feed them to the hounds, then I'm in."

**I didn't read through the second part, so that's where the mistakes will be. I really need to start reading through the chapter when I've finished it. :)**


	9. A Fighting Plan

**Sorry about the wait, I've been sick for the last few weeks and could barely roll out of bed. :( I'm actually struggling a bit with this language wise, I use a lot of cuss words in my writing and around the time this is set I guess they didn't really have any. I don't own The Hunger Games.**

"Damn." Clove heard a knight mutter as she approached the five that were training. "She's come to beat us up."

Smirking, Clove ran a hand across the rack of swords. As princess, she was allowed to interfere with or help the training of knights. The fact that it annoyed her brother was an added bonus. Her hand settled on a sword, three from the end of the rack on the left, that was at least a year old. She could tell from the dents and scratches, even though it was shiny. The knights had obviously deemed it to be a good, useable blade otherwise the servants would not have bothered to polish it. Besides, Clove liked her swords a little worn. She pulled a knife from her belt and hurled it at the knight that had muttered. It stuck tip-first into the armour surrounding his heart and he gaped at her in shock.

"The first rule of any battle…" Clove twirled the blade in her left hand and stepped closer to the knights. "Is to be prepared for any sudden movement or attack."

The knight from the far left ran at her and she hit the ground in a ball like position, tripping him.

"See? I didn't know it was coming, but I was prepared." Clove explained. She readjusted the breast plate she was wearing, the only armour she wore. After all, if you were caught up in a fight armour-less you would have nothing but your body to protect you. She intended to use hers as best as she could, but training the knights guaranteed a few injuries.

"How can we be prepared for something we don't know is coming?" One of the knights asked.

"It's simple, just-" Clove was cut off by a knight swinging a fist at her face. She shot backwards a step before grabbing his wrist and she pulled him towards her, forcing his hand behind his back.

"Never turn your back, never let your guard down and expect your opponent to pull any kind of dirty trick." She finished her sentence before releasing the knight.

"I have a question." Clove turned away from the knights at the sound of a calm, all too recognizable voice. The speaker wore a grey, tattered cloak with the hood pulled down over his face. Clove didn't have to see his face; she knew who it was. She rolled her eyes at him and sighed.

"Speak, then."

"How are your noble knights going to defend the crown against attackers if they can't even defend themselves against the princess?" The smirk was evident in his voice, and Clove could have sworn he sneered the word 'noble'.

"Watch your tongue, or I may just cut it out." The knight Clove had previously floored said, and drew his sword.

"Stand down." Clove snorted. "He's right."

"When am I not?" He asked.

"I wouldn't know. I don't associate with the likes of you." Clove scowled.

"Fight me." The guy in the cloak, Cato, challenged. He pulled a wicked hunting knife from his belt. _Is he really that upset? _Clove thought herself. _Is he really so upset that he wants me dead?_

"Drop the weapon now or we _will _kill you." One of the knights threatened. Clove almost laughed out loud. Sure, the knights were good at fighting. They had to be. But Clove had trained Cato herself, and she had been trained by her father. He had been taught by Clove's grandfather, who had been taught by one of the greatest warriors Panem had ever seen.

"Sir Brutus, Sir Gloss. Tell your men to stand down." Clove sighed. "We'll talk this out like civilized beings."

"But-" One of the other knights started.

"Do you really want to defy me, Sir Blight?" Clove interrupted, raising an eyebrow. He shook his head. "That's what I thought. You're all dismissed."

"As you wish your highness." Gloss said. The knights bowed to Clove before exiting the training courtyard. When she was sure nobody else was around, she spoke.

"What are you doing here Cato? It's like you _want _to get yourself killed."

"Fight me." He repeated, shrugging as he pushed his hood down and then removed his cloak completely. Clove's breath caught in her throat when she saw vivid red claw marks streaking down his right forearm.

"What the hell happened?" Clove asked, gesturing to the scratches.

"Nothing." Cato muttered, pulled his sleeve down over the vertical scratches. He didn't want Clove to know that he had tried telling his mother the truth about his father so she had attacked him. When she had woken up the next day, it was like nothing had happened and she had asked for her husband.

"Whatever, I'm not gonna fight you." Clove started to turn away from him, but he sprang forwards and grabbed her left wrist. Her sword clattered to the ground. Scowling, Clove pulled a knife from her belt and lunged at Cato. He jumped backwards, narrowly avoiding the blade. He performed a move, that Clove shamefully admitted she had taught him, that sent her knife spinning down next to her sword.

"Don't use my own moves against me." She snarled as Cato pounced. They tumbled to the ground and Cato pressed his left arm against Clove's throat.

"I'm going to use these moves," He whispered in her ear. "To win the tournament."

"That's cool, now get off of me." Clove sighed, wriggling in an attempt to get free.

"Do you know what my request will be?"

"Yes. You want money and a job and stuff, now get _off_ of me."

"For once, your highness, you're wrong." Cato smirked. "I'm leaving home when I win. Trix and Buck will be better off without me; Buck earns enough to take care of Trix and mom. They can always sell something if things get drastic. I'll send them medicine for mom using my cut from the betting pool."

"What are you going to ask for instead?" Clove asked. She was surprised that Cato would even think about leaving his family, but he was kind of right. Knights hated thieves, and if Cato got caught they may take it out on his family.

"You." He replied, removing his arm from her throat.

"Me?"

"I haven't known you that long, but I'm pretty sure you'd rather marry me than that ass of a prince that you're meant to marry."

"I don't know what to say." Clove replied. He was giving up her family for her, and she cursed herself for not even being able to say 'thank you'.

"Is it okay for me to do that?" Cato asked, blushing. _Like I'd say no_. Clove thought. Her heart already soared at the thought of marrying Cato. She tugged on his shirt, pulling his mouth down to hers.

"Well, you'd better win."


	10. Heavy Price

**I know, it's been ages. I'm so sorry. :/ I just didn't feel like writing, and I rarely had the time anyway. Back now though. :) I don't own The Hunger Games.**

Clove groaned as a beam of light jutted into her bedroom, waking her up and blinding her at the same time.

"Clove Fuhrman, you are a royal pain in my bottom!" Effie yelled. She was stood in front of the window, the curtains now drawn back. The midday sunlight lit her up like a fireball. Clove _wished _sometimes that Effie would burst into flames.

"Shut the curtains, Effie." Clove mumbled into her pillow. "That's an order."

"You can't order me around, Princess!" Effie yelled. She was going a deep shade of red as she continued to yell at Clove,

"We've been waiting for you down in the dining hall for almost ten minutes! A true Princess is _never _late!"

"Well then, maybe I'm adopted." Clove muttered, wearily sitting up.

"Don't even joke about that! I want you downstairs in five minutes!" Effie snapped, before flouncing out of the room.

"What an ass." Clove sighed, pulling herself out of bed.

"I heard that!" Effie's voice was muffled from the over side of the door. Clove narrowed her eyes and waited until the clip-clop of her annoying mentor's heels as she headed down the stone hallway disappeared. Clove sighed again and stumbled over to her wardrobe. Sundays were the only day that she didn't have to be assaulted by her wacky prep team, but ever since her engagement she had been forced to wear dresses to meals. He wasn't even in the castle, and Clove wouldn't have cared anyway if he was.

"Hmm." She pulled out the most comfortable dress she could find. It was floor length and green, with full sleeves and black cloth tied around the middle, at the side. She took of her nightgown and threw the dress on. As a last minute thought, she placed around her neck the locket her brother had given her one year for her birthday and made her way down to the dining hall.

"Father, I love her."

Clove stopped outside the closed dining room door. Augustus' loud voice could be heard faintly through the thick oak door.

"I don't care! She's a commoner!" Their father responded. Clove felt her heart beat quicken a little as she pressed her ear against the door.

"Don't call her that!" Gus snapped. "She's funny, kind, beautiful…I love her. Who gives a damn if she's not royalty?!"

"Our ancestors, that's who!" The king sighed before carrying on in a softer voice. Clove strained to hear them. "I'm sorry. The only way you could be with her is if you stepped down from the throne line. What if your mother and I were to die tomorrow? Do you really think that Clove is ready to be queen?"

"No." Augustus sighed. "But if I win the tournament, she _will _be accepted, as my one wish." Clove waited a few minutes before pushing open the door.

"Mother, father." Clove smiled politely and curtsied, pretending like she hadn't overheard the personal conversation. She wasn't quite sure how Augustus, her by the book, commanding, soldier brother had fallen for a village girl. Clove didn't even know that he got out all that often.

"Clove. Sit, please." The queen smiled warmly at her daughter. Clove sat down next to Augustus, opposite her father. Servers instantly set a plate in front of her and spooned on carrots, cauliflower, potatoes and roast chicken.

"Is there any reason why I have to be here? You never call me to lunch on a Sunday." Clove asked.

"Yes." Her father said, glancing at her mother.

"Clove." Her mother sighed. "I know you don't like him, but…"

"What?" Clove asked suspiciously, sipping at her glass of wine.

"Prince Marvel and his mother are coming to stay with us until the wedding. Afterwards, you will all leave for Odesta and King Quaid will step down from the throne. You will rule alongside Marvel." King Fuhrman said, calm and cool as ever.

"What?!" Clove yelled, spluttering wine everywhere.

"Clove. Ew." Augustus frowned, leaning away from her slightly. She glared at him before turning to her parents again.

"You can't be serious." She choked. As if on cue, the doors burst open and Marvel strode into the room, his mother being escorted by two of Odesta's knights behind him.

"Hello, Clover dear." Marvel grinned and placed a kiss on Clove's cheek. He sat down in the chair next to him and threw his feet up on the table. "So, what are we having?"

Queen Quaid sat down opposite her son.

"Marvel! Don't be so rude!" She scowled. Her eyes widened when she caught sight of Clove's plate. "Don't eat too much, dear. You'll gain weight."

Clove rolled her eyes and rested her forehead against her hands.

"Kill me."

…

"Cato!"

Cato internally groaned at the all too recognizable voice. Slowly, he turned around to face his two cousins in the marketplace.

"Hey Cashmere, hey Gloss." He said miserably. If the twins picked up on his tone, they didn't say anything.

"It's so good to see you again!" Cashmere squealed, hugging him tightly.

"You too, Cash." Cato half-heartedly wrapped his arms around her.

"What about me?" Gloss asked, pretending to be offended.

"Good to see you Gloss." Cato let go of Cashmere and smiled politely at them both. "What brings you to the village? You hardly ever leave your farm."

"Maybe we just wanted to see you." Cashmere shrugged.

"Are you not going to take us back to the house then?" Gloss asked. Cato hesitated for a moment. He hadn't finished at the marketplace; there were three loads of eggs to be dropped off soon and he wanted to see what he could get his hands on.

"Just a second." He replied, before strolling over to a stall selling shell necklaces and a collection of fish.

"Hey." He greeted the vendor warmly.

"Hello, sir. What'll it be?" The vendor replied.

"A pound of mackerel, please." Cato said. When the market vendor's back was turned, Cato pocketed one of the white shell necklaces. He turned around with a clear bag and loaded the fish into it.

"Thank you." Cato said when the man handed him the bag.

"That's three silver coins, sir." The vendor said, holding his hand out.

"Sure. Just a second." Cato shoved his hand into his pocket. He let his eyes wander to the left of the stall.

"Oh my God!" He yelled. The vendor turned around quickly, and Cato dashed off.

"_Run_!" He yelled at Cashmere and Gloss. They watched him dash by, startled, before tearing off down the road after him.


	11. Beast

**Sorry this has taken so long, I only got back from my month long holiday yesterday. I don't own The Hunger Games, and thanks for sticking with me. :)**

"I can't believe we're actually doing this." Katniss Everdeen sighed, nodding to and smiling at a select few of the market vendors as she, Johanna Mason and Clove Fuhrman walked past them. The princess had her cloak hood pulled down so close to her eyes that she stumbled every few seconds, and a thick scarf covered the lower half of her face. Johanna had pointed out only a dozen times that Clove looked like she had a contagious disease. Clove had responded each time by saying that a contagious disease was more bearable than Johanna Mason.

"Doing what?" Clove asked. "Meeting Cato? It's not that big a deal, honestly."

"Yes it is! You love him!" Katniss protested. Clove was quick to elbow her in the ribs.

"Would you keep your voice down?" Clove hissed. "If someone recognizes me under this sweltering cloak and hears you, then I'm royally screwed. Anyway, he's an idiot. You'll probably hate him."

"So the opposite too what you feel for Gale then, Kat." Johanna snickered as the archer's cheeks grew pink. Grinning evilly at the woman manning the fruit and veg stand, she grabbed an apple and took a bite before tossing it back into the crate.

"Shut up, Johanna. At least all my friends aren't axe-throwing weirdos." Katniss retorted. "Plus, don't call me that. I am _not _a feline."

"Hey, there's nothing wrong with Blight and Gizmo. Anyway, I'm friends with you and Clove. I've never seen either of you even _touch _an axe."

"Would you two shut up for five seconds?" Clove snapped. "You're both so irritating."

She went to jump the fence separating the road from the marketplace, but her cloak caught on a loose nail and fell away from her.

"I knew it was you!" An all too familiar voice called from behind her. Clove turned around slowly, pulling the scarf from her face.

"Marvel." She grimaced.

"Crap." Johanna whispered, and for once, Katniss looked like she agreed with the short tempered girl.

"Where are you going? And what are you _wearing_?" Marvel looked down at her brown breeches, soft leather shoes and white blouse with disgust.

"It's called dressing for comfort, and I'm going to see my…Cow tender." Clove lied, thinking of Buck who worked in the cow fields.

"Cow tender? You keep private cows?" Marvel asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Hey! If she says she keeps cows, she keeps cows! Respect the royalty of Panem or they could have your head!" Johanna snapped, growling slightly on the last word.

"Okay, okay! Sheesh." Marvel muttered. "I'm coming with you."

By now, the four of them had jumped the fence and were making their way down the dusty yellow lane.

"Um, no." Clove said, pulling her cloak on again and over her eyes.

"Um, yes." Marvel responded, shooting her a glare. His frown soon turned into a sickly smile. "I've got to keep my bride safe now, don't I?"

"Oops!" Johanna said as she shoved Katniss into Marvel, who felon his knees. He got to his feet and grumbled as he dusted off his pants.

"You make me feel sick." Clove muttered, quickening her pace. They had now reached the field that had to be crossed in order to reach Cato's house. The cows could be heard mooing in the distance as they weaved their way through the tall plants.

"Yeah. Love sick." Marvel grinned.

"You're a pig." Katniss sighed. They reached the second fence and hopped over it. Clove reached the house first and rapped on the door. It swung open and she stepped inside.

"Cato!" She called out.

"Is he your cow tender?" Marvel asked.

"I, um, have two." Clove responded. Clove heard Cato's footsteps growing closer as he walked from, presumably, the living room to greet her.

"Clove, hey-"

"Excuse me?" She sneered, hoping that Cato would know to play along seeing as it would be his head on the courtyard floor if he didn't. He took one look at Prince Marvel and cleared his throat awkwardly.

"Sorry, your highness." He bowed low. "I welcome you graciously into my humble home."

"That's better, cow tender." Clove responded, her head held high.

"He's hotter than I thought he would be." Johanna whispered in Clove's ear, resulting in a crushed big toe for the lumberjack.

"So, you keep the princess' cows?" Marvel asked doubtfully.

"My brother Buck and I tend to them in the cow fields. They're some of the finest cows this land has ever seen, Prince." Cato assured him, rising from his bow.

"Cato, what's going on?" Glimmer asked, appearing in the doorframe. "Oh my God."

"Glimmer? I…I thought you were dead. They _told_ me you were dead!" Marvel's jaw had dropped and Clove seized the opportunity to get the hell out of there.

"We should give them a moment. Come on girls. Cow tender, you come too. Marvel and Glimmer, you should go out into the yard or something." Clove said, shoving open the door to the closest room. Only when everyone was in the room did Clove turn to her right.

"Crap." She said. Buck was sat in his bed with a set of twins that Clove didn't recognize.

"Well this is awkward." Johanna said. Katniss rolled her eyes and elbowed her in the ribs.

"These are my cousins, Cashmere and Gloss." Cato explained, pointing at twins. Then for Katniss and Johanna's benefit he added,

"And Buck, my brother."

"Silly girl." Buck hissed, shooting to his feet. His gaze was fixed on Clove as if there was no other person in the room. "You've bought that guy here of all places?"

"So she couldn't shake the Prince of Awful of her tail. And what?" Cato shrugged. "He thinks I'm a cow tender."

"You're stupid whore of a girlfriend is _this _close to getting you executed!" Buck snapped, gesturing with his fingers no more than an inch apart.

"Hey!" Johanna yelled at the same time as Cato shoved Buck, hard. He stumbled backwards and hit the wall.

"Call her that again and I'll beat you so hard you don't wake up until next Tuesday. I don't care if you're my brother- you _won't _disrespect her." Cato threatened, his eyes gleaming in a way that Clove could only describe as fuming.

"The only person that gets to insult the princess is me, you horse ass." Johanna snapped.

"Make the same mistake and you'll meet the business end of my bow." Katniss added.

"Guys, please don't. He's got every right to be worried." Clove said, squeezing her eyes shut. _He hates me. More than before._

"Oh my God." Cashmere gasped.

"What?" Cato asked.

"You told Prince Marv and Glimmer to go in the backyard…Trix is out there." She said. Cato visibly paled before he and Buck raced for the door and out of the room, closely followed by the twins, Clove, Katniss and Johanna.

When they reached the yard, Marvel was looming over Trix with a sharp knife.

"Don't you know that it's rude to intrude on private conversations!" Marvel was yelling. Trix was sat on the ground, sobbing.

"Don't you dare hurt her!" Katniss yelled, painfully reminded of Prim. Buck approached Marvel just as he turned around and punched him square in the face, knocking him unconscious. Cato scooped up Trix and held her tight against his chest.

"It's okay." He soothed. "I've got you, I won't let go. I'll never let go."

Clove opened her mouth to apologise, but the words wouldn't come out. She looked to her friends. Katniss appeared to be slightly shell shocked, and Johanna looked murderous.

"Sorry about…All this." Katniss said. "Clove didn't want to bring us here, but Johanna and I nagged her. It's our fault, not hers."

_Stop covering for me! _Clove wanted to scream, but the words still wouldn't come. All she could do was stare as Cato comforted his petrified sister.

"I don't know what came over him." Glimmer admitted from the bottom of the yard. "He saw Trix just after I told him about King Quaid's hounds and he lost it. I'm so sorry."

"We'll carry this loser home." Johanna said, prodding Marvel with her foot. "Um, see you around?"

Katniss and Johanna propped Marvel up between their arms and wrapped his head up in Clove's scarf so that nobody would recognize him. Clove shot Cato a look that she hoped would tell him everything that she physically couldn't at that moment, before pulling the hood of her cloak over her eyes and fleeing the house.

**There'll probably be a lot of typos and stuff in this. I'm sorry, I'm tired.**


	12. Trial By Night

**I don't own The Hunger Games. :)**

"Open the door or I will kick it down!"

Cato shot awake from his early evening nap at the sound of voices. He held his breath for what felt like years, but no more voices came. He laughed humourlessly to himself and, presuming it was just a dream, he settled back down to sleep. The sound of cracking, splintering wood was enough to make his eyes pop open again. He slipped on his boots quickly and ran out to the front door. The door had indeed been kicked down, and five guards were entering his house. Their armour gleamed blue with a silver crest, not black crested and red like the knights of Panem's did.

"We are here on behalf of His Highness, Prince Marvel Quaid." The guard at the front said. Cato stared at him in confusion. He felt someone tug on the back of his sleeve. He glanced behind him, at Trix. Without saying a word, he picked her up and held her like a baby.

"What's this about?" Cato was surprised to find that his voice was calm- his hands were shaking uncontrollably.

"We have reason to believe that Buck of the Ludwig household has assaulted His Highness Prince Marvel of the Quaid royal household." The guard said again. His crest gold, not silver like the other guards', and shaped like a shell.

"I…He…Um…" Cato stuttered, at a loss of what to say. "Will there be a trial?"

"You doubt the word of an Odestian Prince?" The guard asked, drawing his sword.

"No, no! Of course not!" Cato ensured him, his arms squeezing tighter around his sister. For s ten year old, she was pretty light.

"Good." Tha guard hid away his sword again. "Now take me to him."

"No need." Cato turned to the side when he heard the familiar voice. Buck was leaning against his bedroom doorframe, arms crossed with a glare fixed on his face.

"Arrest him." The head guard ordered. Buck raised his fists to fight, but Cato leapt in front of him.

"Buck, please." He sounded as if he was being strangled. "Please don't make Trix watch this."

"Turn her around." Buck muttered, still glaring at the guards. They all had their swords drawn.

"What will mom say if she wakes up and hears screaming? What will she say if you die?" Cato asked.

"I'll die either way!" Buck roared. "I'm headed for the gallows!"

"So go!" Cato yelled back. "Die where your family won't hear your screams!"

Buck stared at Cato; his jaw had dropped in shock. Reluctantly, he held his arms out for the guards to cuff. He was still staring at Cato and Trix as he was pulled through the door.

"I…I'll keep them alive! I swear they'll be okay!" Cato yelled as his brother was shoved into a cage and drawn up the hill by a horse.

"I'm sorry." He whispered, before sinking to the floor with Trix still curled up against him. As his brother disappeared from sight, he knew there was nothing he could do.

…

_Dum. Dum. Dum._

Clove sighed in her sleep and rolled over restlessly.

_Dum. Dum. Dum._

Sighing again, she rolled back to her previous position. Her eyes flickered open, but her senses told her that it was still the middle of the night, around midnight.

_Dum. Dum. Dum._

"Oh, for God's sake." She muttered, pushing her covers away and jumping out of bed. Grabbing her knife on the way, she walked to the window that was horizontal from the window that Cato sometimes climbed through. She picked the seal with her knife and pushed the window until it gave away and opened.

_Dum. Dum. Dum._

The sound of the drums was much louder now, and from her bedroom she could make out hundreds of people crammed in the courtyard. Flaming torches were held by some, and they were all cheering.

_Dum. Dum. D-D-D-Dum._

Two guards were hauling a man along the path that lead from the castle to the raised stand in the courtyard. Clove could just about hear his screams of protest, and the executioners were fastening a noose to the gallows by fire light. The crowd roared again.

_Dum. Dum. D-D-D-Dum._

The man had now been dragged halfway up the path. He managed to shake off the bag that had been placed over his head. He craned his neck to see his noose over the heads of the audience. He was shoved past a lit torch, and that was when Clove saw his face.

"Buck." She gasped. Clove did not hesitate before throwing her silk robe on over her night dress. She burst through her bedroom door and sprinted down the corridor until she reached the stairs. Taking them two at a time, she was panting heavily by the time she reached the ground floor. She ran through three corridors before reaching the wooden double doors. Usually, they were guarded day and night, but all of the guards must have been watching the execution unfold before them. Clove used her shoulder to shove them open, and then bolted around the side of the castle to get to the courtyard. By the time she had reached the start of the path that lead from the dungeons, Buck was stood at the gallows. The noose was inches away from being fastened around his neck.

"Stop!" She yelled, but her voice was hoarse and nobody heard her. The noose was fastened around Buck's neck.

_Dum. Dum. D-D-D-Dum._

"_Stop!" _Clove screamed. This time, everybody heard her. The crowd whispered as they turned to face her. She raced up the path and leapt up the steps to the gallows.

"_I am Princess Clove Fuhrman, second heir to the throne of Panem, and I command you to stop!" _She screamed so loudly that she felt like her lungs were about to burst. She was still clutching her knife, and in one swift motion she cut the noose from Buck's neck. He stumbled backwards slightly, and she grabbed his sleeve.

"Clove!" The king roared from his box, set into the castle wall. The queen and Augustus were looking down at her, horrified. The king, however, looked furious.

"_What is the meaning of this?!" _He bellowed, standing up from his throne. The night time breeze made his royal robes flare out around him.

"Do you question my authority, father?" She yelled back. "Do you question my authority to save this man?!"

"_I _am the king! _I _control the executions!" The king yelled. His face was bright red, and his chest heaved with anger.

"I am the only Princess of Panem, and the only daughter you will ever have! Now _let him go_!" Clove yelled. The king started making his way quickly down the stair case. _Now I've gone and done it_. Clove thought to herself. _He's gonna kill me._

"On what basis," The king had finally reached the gallows. He gripped Clove's shoulder, hard. "Do I let this man go?"

"You were not there, sir." Clove said weakly. "You didn't see what happened."

"And you did?"

"Yes! I was there!"

The king sighed and took a step back.

"We have a witness." He declared. "Let the man go."

…

It was three o'clock in the morning when Clove and Buck burst through the recently fixed door to Cato's house. Buck, after sitting in a cell for six hours, had been thoroughly checked over by a doctor at the king's demand and given the all clear.

"Buck!"

Cato burst through the living room door with Trix close behind him. The girl barrelled into his arms, laughing with glee.

"What- what happened? How did you survive?" Cato asked, shock written clearly on his face.

"Clove." Buck said simply, resting his face against Trix's hair. Cato looked to Buck's side, only seeing Clove now that Buck had mentioned her.

"You did this?" He asked, stepping towards her.

"Well, what else was I going to do? Leave him to die?" Clove answered sarcastically. Cato, ignoring her remark, rested his hand on her cheek.

"Thank you." He whispered, before leaning down to kiss her slowly. In response, Clove wrapped her arms around Cato's neck and sighed in content.

"She saved my life, not the whole damn world." Buck said. "Let her go before I throw up."


End file.
